2013 Annual DeStash-Along

[LadybugsAndBumblebees]

Sharalee...you know what I do that works?  I spend fifteen minutes a day in an area of the house that needs to be de-cluttered, and it makes a big difference.  If I can't manage fifteen minutes, even taking care of just a few small things every day, over time, makes a big difference. 

I live in a very small apartment, and things pile up very quickly.  I learned quickly to take care of them before they take over us!

[Smeddley]

Okay, my stash might not be as big as some I've seen here, and it's not the "stash" part of it that bothers me.  Random fabrics and yarns that I don't have a plan for laying around are good things!  The things that are driving me crazy are all the bits that HAVE A PLAN for them, which shifts them into UFOs in my mind...

So, pictures...



The bookcase of unclaimed yarn.  This is my stash of not very expensive, no specific project yarn.  I love storing it this way, I can see all the colors and it's easy when I impulsively decide to crochet an ami.



The iffy yarn box on top.  Some of it has plans, but most of it is crochet thread and cotton.  The trunk on the bottom, however... it has... many ziplock baggies of skeins of yarn that HAVE A PURPOSE and are weighing on me. 



Mixed collection.  Fabric spilling everywhere, obviously, and I know the bottom tub has unfinished bellydance skirts and other projects.  The middle tub is yarn for a specific (large) project.  The top tub is more fabric.  There is also a tub of yarn (mostly black and white) in the other room, AND the tub that has Tetris Blanket 2.0 (the granny square edition) in it.



Most of my fabric.  No, I can't reach the top.



Bottom of the closet, several small tubs of fabric arranged by type.  I think I have one large bug bin, on large fish bin, and a large and small puppy bin.  AND there are the shoebox bins with various projects on the shelves (I... can't show that right now).

There are four giant rubbermaid bins of random stuff in the extra bedroom, two in the attic, and all of my papercrafting/art stuff is in my office. 

I need to get moving...  O.o

[Sharalee]

Sharalee...you know what I do that works?  I spend fifteen minutes a day in an area of the house that needs to be de-cluttered, and it makes a big difference.  If I can't manage fifteen minutes, even taking care of just a few small things every day, over time, makes a big difference. 

I live in a very small apartment, and things pile up very quickly.  I learned quickly to take care of them before they take over us!

Miss Barbara, I understand about the 15 mins in a small area. I have done that. My problem is I'll do it for awhile then go back to the same way. Plus it's so overwhelming & I get tired & I just quit. I have more things stored in more places & more containers all over the 3600 sq.ft house, 6 bedrooms, that's most of the problem to much space. We came from a 1100 sq. ft. home to this one 13 yrs ago & it was pretty pack then & we got rid of a lot then.
I'm going to try, but don't hold your breath!!
Thanks for the ideas!!

[alwaysinmyroom]

Well, as i am cleaning, I am destashing....here are some of the hats I made using up miscellaneous left over yarn...these hats will be given away to kids or to the homeless shelter as they are made with inexpensive yarns...

Dr. Who hats (I'll keep one)

Two of my 13 in 2013 crochet hats.....

My goal is to get down to one bin of these leftover yarns by the end of the year...

[lovesclutter]

I so appreciate this thread as I thought I was the only one this messy. Some of you have really IMPRESSED me. I feel better each time I see the other's stashes. Goal one is organization, but I have been trying to do a little of both each day.

At least 15 min of organizing and then crafting would take me to 2025 or beyond. Have 2 days off soon so the JJ swap dolls, which I took apart one this evening after work are going to have focus on the days off, but as I go through if I even pic up a small item, I take it to its new home.

Here's to hoping I live that long. I would hate for my family to try to do an estate sale. LOL

[ScrappySue]

some awsome stashes, it would be lovely to squeeze through the screen and take a potter around.
Even tho I worked solidly at the room the other day it is still full, and only slightly organised.
I havent spent anything, so that is good.
( thats just a goal for myself to really cut my spending on craft supplies right down)
I have been doing a small amount of work on a Hennin, a type of hat, but its a project I am in no rush to finish.
I have also decided to make a set of garb from the tapestry's "The Lady abd the Unicorn", you never know, I might make all 6. So I have been researching and sketching.
I do love my stash, but as someone else wrote, when it gets out of control, it becomes a pain and an unmanageable pile of just stuff.
I did make a lot of things last year, but I bought just as much, if not more supplies.
Good luck with the ill health and depression.
Hope your all having a fabulous day,
cheers
S

[meowari]

Thank goodness you guys have bigger stashes than I do! Sharalee, my ultimate goal is to move into a Tiny House ( http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/ ), every time I get more space, I just fill it up!
I don't know if this will help or not, but I used to keep my fabric and yarn in one of these wire shelving units:

They are a little annoying to deal with, but are fairly cheap (around $25 for 6 cubes) and are pretty good for storing fabric. I got rid of mine when I got rid of most of my fabric, but now I wish I had kept them (and the fabric, but only about 75% of the time... 3 years later and I keep thinking of it. I know if I had given it away, I wouldn't think of it at all, but I abandoned it behind a closed Salvation Army... I was in a blind cleaning frenzy because I had to move ASAP  ).
Hands are a little stiff today, but not hurting as much. Going to Physical Therapy today after work, so maybe it will help!
Lovesclutter, did you change your picture? I think you should go on that coffee date if you already haven't- you never know!

[trinalocakary]

We have two small closets in the hall between our room and the art room and they were full of badly packed stuff, one was almost all towels and bathroom stuff and the other random utility stuff.  Well yesterday I started just grabbing a box out and putting it on my table every time I passed it until it was empty.  I then started sorting out bathroom stuff, towels and linen, I taped up both ends of one of the tall this boxes and cut it in half to make two 8 inch tall boxes that now fit with another the same height under the bathroom vanity.
The utility closet looks half empty despite the fact that I only tossed out one small garbage can of bits and pieces including extra cardboard from box flaps, so I was able to move some things from the linen closet in there when I moved the towels onto the over the toilet rack.  Now I have all but two shelves of the linen closet for art storage which is great since it is right outside the door to the art room.
I also went through 2 huge bins of plastic food storage containers and lids and disposed of some and found lids for the rest, the reason I mention it is I had been using 2 boxes made out of those wire storage cubes and I now have 2/3rds of one full of tiny little storage containers ranging from 2 oz to 6 oz as well as a couple entree/sandwich size ones that are not air tight.  I plan to use them in some of my drawer units for things like beads and random findings.  Also I now have those wire racks for sorting stuff into.
Pretty good considering I am still hobbling and had to do most of it seated.

Wish I had taken closet pics.

[trinalocakary]

March 30th we are having a party at our house and since it is the day before Easter I came up with an idea to motivate me to get my art room finished as well as to do some creating.
This is a Goth party so the theme is "Blood and Chocolate" so I am taking hollow Easter eggs, filling them with chocolate and a number that goes to a grab bag.  
I will be making 30 small mixed media pieces of art all with at least some red in them, to put in small paper bags and I will be making them from say 4x4" minimum to 5x7" Max, I will use different surfaces and a variety of techniques and supplies and since I want to use up my stash as much as possible I will only give myself a budget of $10 total, mostly to buy some more red paints and a few sheets of thick foam core to use as bases to build some of the 'canvases' with.  Other surfaces will include the covers of $0.25 small journals I got at Michael's,some sturdy small boxes I have and possibly a small hoopla.  
My goal is to have the art room done first before starting ANY OF IT by Feb 9th (one month away) and get all the art pieces done in the 6 weeks after, leaving time to prepare for the party.  Each piece will be unique and I plan to try at least 6 different techniques.

NOTE 10AM: Mom came over and we brought in and emptied all these old rolling (and some that dont roll) plastic dressers some of which were mine and some were given to me by a friend who had left a few random art supplies in them.  We stripped them down and mom washed the drawers and the frames of them and we tossed the frame to one 3 drawer wide dresser that was broken though we are keeping the drawers to use in the garage and for the sorting of art supplies. 
Now I have empty drawers to put things in (the wooden dresser is empty) and I will be putting medium sized clear plastic bins on the shelf in the closet
Right now about 90% of my art supplies are in the garage waiting to come in box by box to be sorted one at a time so they dont over whelm me which was the problem before.
I still need to put up a few plastic shoe bags to put things in but now there are actual places for things to go.

Before closet

in progress Closet


Bookcase wall Before (drafting table was there)

Bookcase wall in Progress


Library Table area before

Library table area in progress


There is still a lot of work to do but now it is doable!

[lovesclutter]

Lofty goals Trina. Hope your party is a success and will have to check out your work.

Meowari, yes I did change my pic. My life is upside down at the moment. Just a reflection of all the things that are going on right now in my life.